OTR’s debut album “Lost At Midnight” premieres today, and it’s brimming with emotion and soul. OTR, true name Ryan Chadwick, began creating music after initially studying aerospace engineering and landing an internship in Kurashiki, Japan. Faced with isolation, both from living alone and the language barrier, Chadwick bought a MIDI keyboard and started writing music, teaching himself production as he drew inspiration from his surroundings and his own feelings. After returning home in 2015, he chose the alias OTR and began releasing singles, which would eventually lead him to sign to the Astralwerks record label and the eventual creation of “Lost At Midnight”.
The album debuts ahead of his Lost At Midnight Tour, covering thirteen stops across North America over the summer. The tour will hit places like Rough Trade in New York City, The Echo in Los Angeles, and The Velvet Underground in Toronto, with OTR bringing his unique and moving sound with him. (Subject to change based on the current climate with Covid-19).
The twelve-track album is a great study in the Electronic Pop genre as it is extremely well-produced throughout, each song connecting together with a similar style while still retaining a distinctive sound. The tracks don’t blend together, but instead present themselves as a unified chain, telling a story to the listener.
The story begins with the first track, “Lost – Intro”, which is driving, the music of the piano leading into a sweeping drum kick and a melancholy but powerful electronic melody. It’s tinged with a kind of graceful despair and is undoubtedly moving, but it’s only the beginning in the emotional ride that “Lost At Midnight” will take you on. “Stay (with WYNNE)” is slower-paced and powerful, “Moon (feat. Vancouver Sleep Clinic)” is otherworldly and serene, while “Night” speeds up into a faster breakdown, becoming joyful and exuberant sounding. Not only are the tracks full of feeling, but they have the ability to completely transport you. One of the best examples of this is the song “Midnight Sun (with Ukiyo)”. It’s atmospheric and spacey, with an upliftingly sweet melody, making it the perfect track to listen to while watching the stars and contemplating the universe. Another example is “Drive (with Panama)”. With the lyrics of “Push you away so fast/ Driving and I’m thinking of you most/ Everywhere, I see your face/ It takes me back to here”, the song is moody and beautiful, making it destined to become the love song for any future road trips.
It’s not all beauty and happiness in “Lost At Midnight”, however. Tracks like “Heart feat. Shallou” are heart-wrenching, combining a soft piano with gentle vocals singing lyrics like “No need to hurt yourself just to love someone/ Oh, can I hold you when the night is dark?”, which creates a mournful breakup anthem. “Broken” achieves a similar end, but it’s supported by the vocals of Au Ra. Au Ra achieved EDM stardom when Camelphat’s remix of her song “Panic Room” shot up the electronic charts. Her vocals are showcased very well in “Broken”, expressing her lower register with somber lyrics. It’s easy for tracks like these to turn melodramatic, but OTR’s master mixing allows the songs to remain poignant and moving.
Whether joyful or dismal, all of the tracks in “Lost At Midnight” feel deeply personal, like letters written out of music notes, which was Chadwick’s aim. “Every piece is like a snapshot of how I felt at the time that I wrote it,” says Chadwick. “So I hope that when people hear it, it’ll bring back to a specific time in their own lives, and maybe help them to reflect on what it means to them.” It’s incredibly introspective music, the kind of songs that make you look inward, and show you the beauty that lies beneath the surface.
